Beef pho southern-style – phở bò miền nam

Name: Beef pho southern-style – phở bò miền nam
Total time: 8 h
Ingredients: 3 onions, skins on; 200g of ginger, unpeeled; 2 tbsp of fish sauce; 500g of dried pho noodles; 150g of beansprouts; 500g of topside steak, thinly sliced; 10 star anise; 5g of cloves; 3 tsp coriander seeds; 2 tsp fennel seeds; 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed, pods discarded and seeds only; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 lemons, halved; 5 tbsp of salt; 500g of oxtail; 500g of bone marrow, chopped into 7cm pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you); 2kg beef brisket, on the bone; 500g of beef flank; 500g of beef ribs; 1 daikon radish, peeled and halved; 120g of salt; 200g of yellow rock sugar, or rock sugar, crushed; 200g of coriander leaves; 200g of spring onions, chopped; 200g of Thai basil leaves; 200g of sawtooth herb, optional; 4 limes, cut into wedges; 5 bird's eye chillies, aliced; sriracha, for dipping; hoisin sauce, for dipping

by Thuy Diem Pham (The Little Viet Kitchen)

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Main
medium
10
8 hours

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A proper beef pho is a real labour of love, but if you want those heady depths that a good pho brings, it is well worth the time and effort. Thuy Pham serves up a southern-style beef pho recipe, the kind that is made in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam where she is originally from. The herbs in this dish are really integral to enhancing the flavour of the broth, so serve big bunches on the table and allow guests to tear them into their bowls to adjust the flavour as they wish. This recipe is taken from The Little Viet Kitchen by Thuy Diem Pham, published by Absolute Press. Photography © David Loftus.

First published in 2018

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Beef pho is our national dish and so synonymous with Vietnamese cuisine that the quality of your broth goes a long way to defining you as a chef! Like many Vietnamese classics, the flavours will vary greatly depending on where in the country you are from. As I’m from the Mekong Delta, the recipe I’ve written here is the southern style, which is closest to my heart. Tweaked over generations to suit the tastebuds of loved ones, this is the recipe I have worked on since the launch of The Little Viet Kitchen and is one that I’m proud to share with you here.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Beef pho

3 onions, skins on
200g of ginger, unpeeled
2 tbsp of fish sauce
500g of dried pho noodles
150g of beansprouts
500g of topside steak, thinly sliced

Pho spices

10 star anise
5g of cloves
3 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed, pods discarded and seeds only
1 cinnamon stick

For cleaning the meat

2 lemons, halved
5 tbsp of salt

For the pho broth

500g of oxtail
500g of bone marrow, chopped into 7cm pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you)
2kg beef brisket, on the bone
500g of beef flank
500g of beef ribs
1 daikon radish, peeled and halved
120g of salt
200g of yellow rock sugar, or rock sugar, crushed

To serve

200g of coriander leaves
200g of spring onions, chopped
200g of Thai basil leaves
200g of sawtooth herb, optional
4 limes, cut into wedges
5 bird's eye chillies, aliced
sriracha, for dipping
hoisin sauce, for dipping

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Method

On an open gas flame, char the onions and ginger until the skins are blackened. If you don’t have a gas stovetop, then roast in an oven preheated to 180°C/gas mark 4 for 20–25 minutes. Remove, allow to cool enough to handle, then peel the skins off. Rinse in cold water and set aside

Dry toast all the spices in a small frying pan for 3–5 minutes over a medium heat, until aromatic. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool. Put the spices into a spice strainer (breaking up the cinnamon stick if necessary) and set aside

Next, prepare the bones and meat. Squeeze the juice of the lemons into a stockpot, throw the lemon halves in and fill with plenty of cold water. Soak the oxtail, marrow, beef brisket, flank and ribs and bones in the water, then add the salt. Stir well and leave for 1 hour

Discard the lemon halves and set the pot over a high heat and parboil the bones and meat for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and leave to dry

Rinse the pot used for cleaning the bones and meat and fill with 8 litres of water. Add the par-boiled meat. Blast at extremely high heat for 3–4 minutes to force all the impurities to the surface, then skim off the scum until the water looks clear. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover with the lid and simmer for 3 hours

Add the prepared onions and ginger along with the daikon to the broth along with 120g salt. Stir in the sugar, then continue to simmer for a further 2 hours. Carefully remove the daikon and onion from the broth, add the spice strainer along with the fish sauce. Cook for a further 3 hours

Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference. In the north of Vietnam pho is a little saltier, and in the south it is a little sweeter

Take the pot off the heat, remove the bones and meat, and allow to cool. Skim off any fat that has risen to the surface, then carefully and slowly strain the broth through a large sieve into a clean stockpot. Don’t rush this process if you want to produce that signature clarity to the broth

Soak the noodles in a bowl of cold water for 30–45 minutes. Drain and set aside

For the meat, debone and tear the brisket meat into strips. Cut the flank into thin slices. If you like, tear the meat off the ribs, or serve it on the bones

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, then blanch the bean sprouts for 5–10 seconds and drain. Divide the bean sprouts between serving bowls

Fill the pan with fresh water and cook the soaked noodles for 3–5 seconds, then drain and add to the bowls with the bean sprouts. Add the assortment of cooked meat, then arrange the slices of topside steak on top

Bring the broth to the boil and ladle between bowls. Add the marrow to the bowls, or leave on the side for guests to help themselves. Finish with the herbs and serve with lime wedges and sriracha and hoisin sauces for dipping the meat. Do not add the sauces into the broth. Think of the hours you have spent perfecting it

Finally, enjoy your first spoonful of broth… You deserve it chef!

First published in 2018

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Thuy Diem Pham (The Little Viet Kitchen)

Born in Vietnam, Thuy and her family moved to London when she was eight, and now runs The Little Viet Kitchen in Islington, London.

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